Fire extinguisher



Jan. 3, 1933. s. M. GREEN FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Feb. 9, 1931 INVENTOR BY Q0 2141 & A TTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES SAMUEL M. GREEN, OF SERINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS FIRE EXTINGUISHER Application filed February 9, 1931.

This invention relates to fire extinguishers of the grenade type. The object of the invention is to provide an extinguisher of this character which shall be discharged by the heat of the fire and in a manner to effect a more efficient distribution of the liquid with which the grenade is charged. Other and more detailed objects will be apparent from the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a section on a larger scale, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view of the discharging mechanism; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the connection between the releasing means and the discharge bolt.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a container, formed of glass or other shatterable material, which is fllled or partially filled with a suitable liquid such as carbon tetrachloride and the open end sealed as at 2. The opposite end is preferably rounded as at 3 to seat in a cup shaped annular flange 4 secured or formed integral with the open end of a cylindrical member 5. The flange is provided with two (or more) slots 6, adapted to receive bent ends 7 of flat metal strips 8 which are shaped to conform to the shape of container 1, as shown in Fig. 1. The upper ends of the strips are releasably held in place against the neck of the container by a collar 10 provided with grooves 11 in which the strips fit and are thereby held against sidewise displacement. The ends of strips 8 are provided with any suitable means by which the device may be suspended, such as a spring bale 12 having bent ends 13 engageable in holes 14 formed on the ends of strips 8. It will be obvious that upon the removal of bale 12 and collar 10, arms 8 may be pivoted in slots 6 to permit insertion of the container.

The cylindrical member 5 is provided at the end remote from the container 1 with an inwardly extending flange 15 forming a restricted opening 16 in the end of the cylinder.

Serial No. 514,533.

A short bolt 17 fits loosely in the cylinder and is provided with a head 18 between which and flange 15 is positioned a stiff coil spring 19. The end of the bolt is formed with spaced hooks 20 adapted upon compression of the spring 19 to engage the ends of a transverse pin 21 held in the looped head of a cotter pin 23 which extends through opening 16. The cotter pin is formed of a flexible easily deformable metal. The arms of pin 23 pass through an opening in the crown of a concave shell 24 of greater diameter than opening 16' and are held against withdrawal from the shell by a mass of fusible solder 25 which maintains the arms of the pin in spread position, as shown in Fig. 3.

Solder 25 is of a character to melt at a temperature such that the heat of a fire beneath or in proximity to it will cause itto fuse and release the arms of cotter pin 23 and permit their withdrawal from shell 24 under the action of spring 19, the expansion of the spring projecting the bolt 17 against the expanded end of the container, forcibly shattering the latter and releasing the liquid container therein;

The arrangement shown for anchoring the bolt 17 against the projecting force of the spring 16 has the advantage of furnishing a very strong resistance while the solder is unmelted and practically no resistance when the solder melts. Moreover this effect is accomplished without putting any physical strain on the solder itself except that of resistance to mobility which is very high when in solid form and very low when fused. The spreading apart of the prongs of the cotter pin 23 in the solid solder very effectively roots the same against withdrawal until the solder fuses. The concave shape of the shell 24 assists in the fusion of the solder by acting as a heat collector therefor.

If desired, the device may be used as a hand grenade to be hurled and fractured by impact and the device thus combines the advantages of that type of extinguisher with the advantages of the wholly automatic operation above described, which is positive and not dependent on the drop of the grenade for release of the liquid. Moreover a better distribution of the liquid is obtained by its release in its elevated position.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A fire extinguisher which comprises a shatterable container adapted to hold a quantity of fire extinguishing liquid, a cylinder having a shallow cup shaped flange upon which the container seats, narrow strap members attached to said flange and embracing the container to hold the flanged cylinder against the container, a spring positioned in the cylinder, and a bolt normally held in the cylinder remote from the container against the action of the spring by a fusible memher, the bolt being adapted upon failure of the fusible member to be projected by the spring into shattering contact with the container.

2. A fire extinguisher which comprises a shatterable container adapted to hold a quantity of fire extinguishing liquid, a cylinder having a shallow cup shaped flange upon which the container seats, narrow strap members attached to said flange and embracing the container to hold the flanged cylinder in position against the base of the container, the free end'of the strap members being provided with means by which the extinguisher may be suspended, a spring positioned in the cylinder, and a bolt normally held in the cylinder remote from the container against the action of the spring by a fusible member, the bolt being adapted upon failure of the fusible member to be projected by the spring into shattering contact with the container.

3. A fire extinguisher which comprises an elongated shatterable container adapted to hold a quantity of fire extinguishing liquid, a cylinder having a shallow cap shaped flange upon which the container seats, narrow strap members extending longitudinally of the container and releasably attached at one end to said flanged member, an annular member encircling the container at the end opposite the flanged cylinder and engaging over the free ends of said strap members to releasably hold the latter in place, a spring positioned in the cylinder, a bolt normally held in the cylinder remote from the container against the action of the spring by a fusible member, the bolt being adapted upon failure of the fusible member to be projected by the spring into shattering contact with the container, and means attached to the free ends of the strap members by which the extinguisher may be suspended.

4. In a fire extinguisher which includes a shatterable container adapted to hold a quantity of fire extinguishing liquid, a cylindrical member positioned with one end in contact with the container and a spring actuated bolt in the cylinder, means for normally holding the bolt remote from the container against the action of the spring which comprises a 

